Pirate Wench
by Isuit
Summary: Ralaya never meant to kill Mr. Thomas, but that's exactly what happened. Now fleeing for her life, she finds that she's somehow wound up in Captain Jack Sparrow's crew...


**Disclaimer: Hello poppets! No, I don't own Gibbs, (damn,) I don't own Anna Maria, (damn,) I don't own the Black Pearl, (damn,) and I don't own Captain Jack Sparrow, (damn, damn, damn!)**

Chapter: 1

Ralaya's hands shook as she washed the blood off of them. Don't scream, she reminded herself. Don't fall apart. Gather your wits about you and get out of this mess!

A few moments passed as she fought the rising bile in her throat, then she turned and leaned against the bucket. On the floor, next to the bed, lay a crumpled body. The shadows fell across the face, but Ralaya already knew that the figure was a man. Mr. Thomas Potts to be exact, son of the grand Lord Morris…who in turn was the most powerful man on Port Royal beneath the Governor. Unfortunately, Mr. Thomas was now lying on Ralaya's floor dead…and it was all her fault.

_'No! No it wasn't,'_ Ralaya argued with her conscience fiercely. '_He attacked me! He came into the room…just waltzed into the house drunk. I've never even met him before! All I was doing was sitting in the kitchen peeling potatoes when he comes up behind me, claps his hand over my mouth so I can't scream, and drags me towards the bedroom and tosses me onto the bed!'_

_'Yes, but you stabbed him,'_ her conscience hissed back. '_You killed the man!'_

Ralaya grabbed her head. _'No! He fell on the knife! It was pointing up and when he tried to come down on me he fell onto it!'_

'_A lie won't suffice the gallows,_' her conscience whispered, but Ralaya shook her head violently and tuned it out. Deal with guilt later, she told herself; right now she needed a plan.

Staying in Port Royal was obviously not an option. Lord Morris would find her and have her strung up by the neck. It was useless to try and plead the truth to him; he would never believe that his beloved Thomas was a drunk and a lady luster.

The only other thing to do was leave. Leave Port Royal and never ever come back. Yes, that's what she would do. She would find passage to a far off island and escape the wrath of Lord Morris.

Good, very good. Alright. Next question…how to board a ship? No crew in their right mind would accept a woman amongst them, and certainly not a woman begging for passage in the middle of the night.

Ralaya twisted her hair and paced nervously. Damn sailors and their superstitions! The only thing she could do was go in disguise…and how the bloody blazes was she supposed to do that?

Grabbing the mirror off of the dresser, Ralaya stared at her reflection. Long brown hair cascaded down her back, upswept eyelashes framed her eyes, arched eyebrows defined her face, legs, breasts, hips….she was a woman, every inch! How was she supposed to look like a man!

A loud crash from outside made Ralaya squeak and drop the mirror. _They've come for me!_ She thought. _They've come to hang me by the gallows until my feet stop kicking and my neck…_

"_Oh I live in a bucket that floats on a sea! Where sea monsters serve and mermaids caress me!" _

The singing was familiar…Old Tubbs! Ralaya leaned against the dresser and tried to calm her pounding heart. It was only drunk Old Tubbs….

Ralaya's eyes narrowed. She straightened and quickly pulled out the entire dresser drawer. Reaching into the dresser, she felt around until she produced a small pouch. Running out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, she pulled open the front door.

"Tubbs!" Ralaya hissed and stuck her head outside. "Tubbs where are you?"

A shadowy figure rose up from within the alleyway and bumbled towards her. The light from within the house fell on Tubbs, and Ralaya was able to make out his familiar dirty, sweaty face.

"Why 'ello there Miss. Ralaya. Ain't safe to be 'bout outside with all these damn butterflies flyin about!" Tubbs made a gesture as if trying to catch something in front of his face.

Ralaya leaned out a little farther to glance down the street. Everthing was dark and silent. "Okay Tubbs, please pay attention! I'm in a great deal of trouble and I need your help desperately…"

"Oh I'm a listenin Miss. Ralaya." He mumbled as he tried to braid his beard and mustache together.

Ralaya bit her lip. "I need your clothes."

Tubbs coughed. "I done think I gone and drunk too much whiskey Miss. Ralaya but did you say you needed my clothes?"

"Yes and I'm going to pay you for them!"

"Um, well I don' know if I can give em to ya cause then I'd have to walk through the dark all naked like and them butterflies just love to suck the life out of naked men walkin' through the dark!"

Ralaya winced. "Shhh…keep your voice down Tubbs! Please…please I really need them. Look I'll give you a whole gold piece!" She unstrung the little pouch and pulled out a small coin that glittered even in the darkness.

Tubbs hiccupped. "Now what would I do with that?"

"Buy lots and lots of whiskey," she answered curtly.

"Ah. Now you're talkin' like a reasonable woman," Tubbs answered, grabbed the coin, and reached down to unbutton his pants.

"No, no, no! In the shadows," Ralaya blushed. "Undress in the shadows and just toss them to me."

Tubbs scratched his head. "Uh…Okie dokey." He turned and wandered back into the shadows, murmuring about butterflies.

Ralaya closed her eyes until she heard the rustling thump of a pile of clothes landing at her feet. Quickly she reached down, grabbed it, and disappeared back into the house.

She dressed in the kitchen, not wanting to go back into the bedroom. The clothes reeked with an indescribable odor and were stained with mud and sweat, but at least she would look like a man…and smell like one too.

Luckily the pants and the shirt were baggy, hiding her breasts and hips, and she had managed to pull her hair back into a tight braid and tuck it underneath the hat. The hat also served to hide her face and make her seem taller. Finally, she tied the pouch firmly to her waist and patted it.

Looking up, Ralaya blinked away tears. She could take nothing else with her, as she had to travel light to make a fast getaway. Steeling herself, she took one glance about the kitchen. The rusty stove, cracked walls, and stained flooring didn't appear to be much, but it had been home since her childhood.

Goodbye house, she thought, trying to forget the body in the bedroom. With that she turned and walked out into the dark alleyway.

Even in the middle of the night the harbor was bustling. People moved to and fro about their business. Chickens squawked, pigs grunted, and cattle snorted and stomped. Gas lamps cast an eerie glow on the planks and reflected off of the rippling waters.

Ralaya shivered. She had only been to the harbor twice, and neither of the trips had been at night. Now the tall, dark ships waiting at their ports stole her breath away. They almost seemed like people…like tall, commanding masters of the sea.

"Excuse me lad," a tap on her shoulder made Ralaya jump and spin around. A short, squat man with beady eyes and a scruffy beard eyed her up and down.

_It's one of Lord Morris's agents! _she thought and prepared to fall on her face and plead for her life, but a quick second glance told her the man was much too dirty to be an agent. _Stupid girl,_ she cursed at herself, _you'll never make out of Port Royal alive if you keep acting like this. _Then with a wince, she realized she was still standing in the man's way.

"Sorry," she whispered apologetically, then winced again. She was a man, and she was supposed to talk like a man. "Uh…I mean…sorry." She said in a rougher tone. Now she didn't sound like a girl…she sounded like a girl with snot up her nose.

"Ya be lookin' for a job young laddy?" the man asked walking slowly around her as if inspecting a pile of trash.

Ralaya prayed he wouldn't see through her disguise. "Um, actually I'm just looking for passage," she stuttered, but stopped when the man started chuckling.

"Ya ain't gonna find any free passage lad. Only work. Ya work and I'm sure in due time we'll sail were ye be headin'."

"Work on a ship?" Ralaya asked softly.

"Aye," the man had stopped and was now stroking his beard.

She didn't know anything about working on a ship…only cooking. But perhaps….

"And if I work I'll get to go where I want?" she asked

"Aye…eventually," he answered.

Ralaya took a deep breath. "Alright then. I want to work on your ship."

The man clapped his hands. "Fine choice lad! The name's Gibbs, and I would personally like to be the first to welcome ye aboard the Black Pearl!"

Gibbs lead her to the darkest port at the farthest corner of the harbor. "Ah! Here she be! The Black Pearl! Finest ship in all the sea! There be none like her lad."

Ralaya stared at the huge vessel in front of her. It was old, and rickety, and strung with black tattered sails. The mast looked as if it would collapse any moment.

"Um. Exactly what kind of work is this ship used for?" she asked, turning to Gibbs.

"Anykind," he answered with a nasty twinkle in his eye.

Ralaya turned back towards the ship, stiff. There was a bad feeling about this whole deal; she could feel it. _But what other choice do I have?_ she thought.

"When do we sail?" she asked.

"Right now. Ye got any bags to take onboard cause once on the Black Pearl the cap'n won't let ya off."

Ralaya turned to him startled. "I thought you were the captain!"

Gibbs stared at her a moment, blinked, then burst out laughing. "Ye thought I was the cap'n?" he roared. "Bloody hell no! The cap'n's a whole 'nother breed lad. Doubt if any man could be compared to him."

Ralaya didn't like the sound of that. She gulped and hugged her arms around herself for comfort…before remembering men didn't hug themselves. She dropped her hands to her sides.

"I'm ready to go aboard," she said softly; interrupting Gibbs's laughter. He straightened and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Up the ramp we go then." Gibbs beckoned to her and led the way up the creaky plank with Ralaya dragging her feet behind him. Oh what had she gotten herself into? How did such a beautiful day turn into such a disastrous night? How could the Lord's son be lying dead in her room? Trying to distract herself from crying, Ralaya focused instead on the voices she heard coming from onboard the Black Pearl.

"Oy you scallys! Lift the sails, secure the ropes, tighten the rigging….and Captain! If you're going to throw up at least do so over the side!"

The voice was a woman's, proud and strong.

"There are women on board?" Ralaya gasped.

Gibbs stopped and turned to her, seemingly mistaking her excitement for horror. "A shame lad, I know. I've told the Cap'n a thousand times women shouldn't be 'board a ship." He leaned forward and ominously lowered his voice, "It's dreadful bad luck!" He straightened and continued walking. "But the Cap'n doesn't listen. Says not havin' Anna Maria would be even worse then bad luck." He snorted and shook his head. "What's worse then bad luck, aye lad? As for me, if I find any more womenfolk onboard I'll personally see that the sea monsters have 'em."

"Heh, heh," Ralaya managed a weak laugh just as the ramp ended and they stepped onboard the ship.

The Black Pearl was…black. That was probably the only thing unusual about it despite the tattered sails, the creaky deck, and the strange feeling in the atmosphere. A strange, supernatural feeling…as if the ship was more then what it appeared to be.

The crew, however, was a crew. Dirty, smelly, and hairy were the defining features of every man as he scurried about the deck. Looking around Gibbs, Ralaya was able to spot Anna Maria on the hull. She was a skinny black woman with wiry hair…and she was scowling at a tall man leaning against the railing.

Now he was unusual. He had a long, lean body clothed in the strangest sea attire Ralaya had ever seen. Both a rusty sword and a tarnished gun hung at his waist, and a large brown hat sat on his bead-adorned dreads. His dark eyes were lined with black charcoal, his skin was sea-sprayed and golden…and he was obviously drunk.

"That's Captain Jack Sparrow," Gibbs whispered in her ear before calling out loudly. "Oy! Cap'n! I've got ya another crewmember!"

Jack turned to look at him somewhat dazedly. "Ah! So you have Gibbs. Very good. Excellent in fact." He tried to straighten from the railing but ended up falling unto the deck.

"By the way Mr. Gibbs," Ralaya heard his voice, "you wouldn't have by any chance bought anymore….spirituous liquid?"

Gibbs scratched his head. "Uh, do ya mean rum?"

Jack shot up. "Shhhh!"

"Rum!" Anna Maria shouted and strode towards Gibbs. "What's this talk of rum? As if Jack Sparrow needs to be anymore bloody drunk then he already is!"

"Captain," Jack slurred as he clung to the railing and began shakily groping his way across the deck. "I am _Captain_ Jack Sparrow…"

"No," Anna Maria whirled towards him and screamed, "you are drunk, and if you continue getting drunk I shall leave this bloody ship and curse it to the bottom of the sea!" she jabbed him in the chest with her finger.

Jack offered her a lazy smile and flicked her finger away. "Be my guest luv."

"Oh!" Anna Maria threw her hands in the air, disgusted. "You son of a land lover!" She turned in a huff and left to go below deck.

Gibbs gasped and latched onto Jack's shirt. "Jack! Jack she's cursed us! The woman has damned us all! We're doomed, doomed I tell ye!"

Jack raised an eyebrow and pried Gibbs's fingers off of his shirt. "I'm sorry mate but I think _you_ were damned long ago."

Gibbs looked as if he would faint. "Wait," he suddenly yelped and turned suspiciously towards Ralaya. "Ye be a man, right? Not any type of woman in disguise?"

Jack turned to stare at Ralaya. She automatically held her breath and hoped that those smoky eyes wouldn't see beyond her guise.

"Name?" he suddenly barked.

"Ral…I mean Randle." Ralaya lied. "Randle Weathers."

Jack frowned. "Age?"

"Nineteen," she truthfully replied.

"Occupation?"

"Um…." She thought frantically. "Cook?"

"Ah," he said, then stared at her again. She tried not to squirm.

He leaned forward slowly till he was only inches away from her face. _He knows, _she thought, _he knows I'm a girl and he's about to throw me overboard!_

"Repeat after me," he whispered, hot rum breath filling her nose, "I am a man who lives on the sea, a man who loves to go wee and pee pee."

Ralaya blinked. "Repeat it? I am a man who lives on the sea…a man who loves to go wee and pee pee."

She grimaced as Jack clapped her hard on the back and smiled. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl mate!" he turned and whispered loudly to Gibbs, "It's a man Gibbs, never fear. Only a man can recite the Man Recitation." He turned back to her and his smile disappeared. "Well go on, don't just stand there. Scrub the decks, or shine the hull, or do whatever it is you cooks do." He waved her off.

Ralaya nodded quickly, relived to be getting away from him. She was about to go below and find Anna Maria when Jack called her back.

"By the way," he slurred, sounding drunk again, "all the rum you find on this ship is mine, savvy?"

Ralaya nodded her head vigorously.

He smiled. "Good." He turned to the rest of the crew and spread his hands out. "All hands on deck!" he shouted. "Prepare the Black Pearl. We set sail as soon as possible! Move it you scallywags, move!" He turned back to Gibbs and Ralaya and hiccupped. "All because of bloody Norrington I'm missing our Will and his fiancés wedding.

"Aye Jack," Gibbs agreed, "but the Commodore would have our heads if he found us here. Still, tis a sad thing to miss the union of two people."

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "Union? I was talking about all the free rum we'll be missing." he frowned unhappily and turned to saunter away.

"That's the Captain?" Ralaya asked, hoping that everyone had just made a mistake and that it was really Gibbs or even Anna Maria.

"Aye Randle," Gibbs nodded, "That's Jack for ya." He turned and left Ralaya by herself, wondering why the Commodore didn't want the Black Pearl in harbor.

Ralaya sighed, heart heavy as her thoughts drifted back to her predicament. She turned to stare at Port Royal. Slowly the Black Pearl began moving away from the port. Ralaya took one last long look at her former home, then climbed down to the bridge to help work the rigging.


End file.
